Every year, Langton’s collects wines from the winners of the Halliday Wine Companion Awards (past and present) under a veil of secrecy because once the Halliday Wine Companion guide is out on August 2 – revealing the top scores and best of the best wineries – the bidding battles will ensue.
After the Awards ceremony on August 1, when James Halliday will crown the wine of the year, the winery of the year, the winemaker of the year, the best new winery, the dark horse of the year and the best value winery, Langton’s will begin taking submissions for a special "Halliday Awards Auction" closing early September.
You have until August 20 to submit wines for sale, with the auction opening on August 27. Previous winners, in particular the wine of the year, have seen drastic price hikes, in the past having climbed in value by as much as 1000 per cent.
Of course, a large part of the joy of this auction is discovering new favourites. The best new winery and the dark horse of the year always provide plenty of inspiration, often featuring small, passionate producers that most people wouldn’t have heard of prior to James pinpointing them for the awards. The production of these under-the-radar wineries tends to be fairly limited. In some cases, this auction may be your last chance to access such rarities.
Your best bet for securing wines from these award-winning wineries, hand-picked by James from a pool of several thousand, is to bookmark Langton’s today. As a Halliday Wine Companion member, you’ll receive news of the award winners first, as well as access to the 9000-plus new tasting notes from the guide.
Submissions to be included in the Langton’s Halliday Awards auction need to be in by August 20. The Auction will open on will open on Monday, August 27 and close on Tuesday, September 4.